The Closest Thing To Magic
by Rilianne
Summary: {AU; Fluff; Papa Shinshin and Mama Aya;} Shintaro and his wife, Ayano have been trying for quite some time to have a child of their own, however, when they are unable, Shintaro suggests they adopt. Three young children are outcasts at the orphanage and are told that they'll never be wanted. One day, a cold looking man and his cheerful wife show up, interested in adopting them.
1. Chapter 1

Shintaro studied each of the children closely from the pictures that the adoption agent had given him and his wife. None particularly stood out as being correct for their new family. It wasn't until he'd come upon a set of pictures-paper clipped together-that something finally sparked.

The first image in the bundle was of a young girl, no older than ten, with short, choppy jade colored hair and piercing coal colored eyes. She looked as if she had had hard life and her eyes held a sense of profound calmness that Shintaro hadn't even seen in people his own age. The second, again no older than ten, was a dark haired boy with big, wonder-filled golden eyes. His cheeks were slightly pink and his eyes looked glossy as if he were about to cry. Then, the third (and final) image was of a blonde haired, golden eyed, boy with a mischievous grin that would put the Cheshire cat to shame.

These three caused Shintaro to stop. He stared at the pictures for what seemed like a long time before finally saying something.

"Ayano?" he asked in a hushed tone that he realized late was unnecessary.

When no reply came, he glanced over at her in the seat beside his. She smiled at the pictures, her eyes sparkling as they had when he first suggested they adopt.

Ayano was sterile. She tried her best to keep her sorrow hidden... however, there were times when she couldn't. She wanted so badly to be a mother and it killed Shintaro to have to see her as she agonized over the possibility of her dream never happening.

That was when he suggested they adopt children. If it meant he could help her fulfill that dream of hers, he was willing to sit through hours of paperwork to do so.

"Shintaro..." Ayano spoke quickly, still examining the faces, her smile growing ever wider, "Can we meet these ones?"

Shintaro watched his wife for a little bit longer before nodding and sliding the stack of pictures back together, leaving the paper clipped ones on top. The door behind them opened and the agent walked in her heels clicking on the hardwood floor.

"So..." she began, smiling pleasantly at the couple, "Were there any you'd like to interview?"

"Yes, actually..." Shintaro stated, holding the three children's images out to her, "these three." He watched as she blinked momentarily in confusion, probably surprised that the couple had finally found, not one but _three_ , children they we're interested in. The woman nodded and took the papers, quickly shuffling through to see who the candidates were.

"Oh..." she frowned, "Sir, I would advise you to keep looking... these three... are..." However, Shintaro didn't let her finish the thought, feeling Ayano's shoulders droop beside him.

"We'd like to meet these three, is that a problem?" He could tell that his wife had perked up slightly at this, waiting for an answer. The woman cleared her throat and regained her composure.

"Not at all, when would you like to schedule the interview?"

"As soon as possible." This seemed to surprise the woman again and she blinked before nodding and pulling out her tablet, tapping the screen a few times and swiping through something that Shintaro presumed was a calendar.

"Would tomorrow afternoon work? There is an opening at four o' clock." She glanced up from the screen to see their faces. Ayano was the one to confirm this time with a nod of her head.

"Th-That'll be fine," she said, unusually stumbling through her words. She was more tense than normal and Shintaro assumed it was because her nerves were getting the best of her. He glanced over at her before he turned back to the adoption agent who nodded.

"Alright... here's the address, please be there a few minutes early so that the children won't be waiting for you. You'll interview all three together and you'll be allotted twenty minutes to ask questions and decide if you want to adopt them." She handed Shintaro a small, white business card with the words, _Katashi_ _Daisuke_ _Orphanage_ printed in silver lettering followed by the address and phone number of said orphanage.

Shintaro stood, putting the card into his jacket pocket and bowing slightly to the agent; Ayano followed suit, bowing rather stiffly.

"Thank you for your help." With that, they left the building, Ayano sighing with relief as they exited out onto the front steps.

"That was so nerve-wracking!" she exclaimed, resting a hand in her chest above her heart, "I was so nervous that there wouldn't be any that we would want to meet!" She smiled and looked at her husband, "But I was wrong! I'm so excited for tomorrow!" She skipped a few steps ahead of him and turned around grinning from ear to ear-the happiest he'd seen her in a while-and practically bounced back to him.

He couldn't help but smile as he watched her, letting her hold his hand as she skipped beside him.

The next day, both Shintaro and Ayano got off work early, meeting back at their house before heading to their appointment. Ayano checked her watch almost obsessively, jittering as though she had all the energy in the world.

"Calm down... you'll make yourself sick if you're not careful..." Shintaro sighed, glancing to look at her. She seemed as though she was ignoring him but he figured that she just wasn't paying attention as she excitedly stared out the windows, pointing at small things along the way.

He had to admit, they'd never been in this part of the city and that sense of adventure got to him a little too. When he saw the sign with the name of the orphanage, he turned down the narrow drive and as they exited a patch of trees that hung over the road, the building came into view.

The building was massive and was made of red brick with stairs leading up to the door which was nestled inside a large archway. The black haired male sighed, it looked like any orphanage you'd see in films or on TV. Shintaro parked the car in a spot close to the entrance and looked over to see his brown haired companion as she quickly climbed out of the car, each step of hers bouncing like the ground were a trampoline. He shook his head, trying hard to not smirk at how adorable she was and got out of as well, shutting the door behind him.

Ayano came quickly over to her husband's side and linked her arm with his, interlacing their fingers. He locked the car with his free hand and let himself be nearly dragged inside to the interview.

As they entered, they were directed to a counter that separated the lobby from the rest of the orphanage. A few women bustled about in an enclosed office area behind the counter but none seemed to notice the couple standing patiently at the counter. After a few minutes, Shintaro checked his _own_ watch, seeing that they still had a fair amount of time before the appointment.

When he looked up again, a woman had appeared at the counter and he jumped slightly, not having heard or seen her move. She smiled calmly and politely, pulling a large, leather bound notebook onto the counter.

"Hello, do you have an appointment today?" Ayano practically gave herself whiplash as she nodded.

"Y-Yes! Mr. and Mrs. Kisaragi, we have an appointment for four?" she ended her statement with a sort of question, making sure the appointment was indeed scheduled. The woman began flipping through pages of her book, searching for the name and that was when Shintaro had begun to fill with dread.

He'd offered to make her feel better... but when he really thought on it, he wasn't a people person, let alone a kid person... Was he even ready to be a father? He knew Ayano and him had tried before... but was he capable of raising kids? His brow furrowed and his expression darkened, thinking of all of the reasons it was a bad idea for him to be a father. He looked over at his wife and sighed; she was nearly climbing onto the counter, standing on her toes and leaning on her arms to try and see the book that the woman was still flipping through.

Finally, the page turning stopped.

"Ah, here you are..." the woman said, smiling at Ayano though it looked a bit strained. Ayano grinned, removing herself from the counter and looking over at Shintaro. He nodded and looked at the worker.

"Th-Thank you..." he offered, attempting to give a smile as well but daily ultimately.

Luckily, it didn't seem to faze the woman and she bowed, gesturing for them to follow her down the hallway to a small, well lit room. Inside were a table and three chairs, two on the side closest the door and one opposite them. Ayano frowned.

"Um!" She managed to catch the worker's attention before the woman left, "C-Could we get a couple more chairs?"

"Of course, I'll bring them in a minute." Then, with another pleasant smile, the woman left.

Shintaro pulled her chair out for her-slightly awkwardly-and then sat himself. She was almost vibrating but he could have sworn that he was shaking worse.

 _What do I do if they hate me?_ was the only thought running through his mind as they waited. He found himself checking his watch, counting down the minutes until the official start if the interview, and tapping his foot obnoxiously. Ayano grabbed his hand in hers, using her other hand to stroke the back of his.

"Are you nervous, Shintaro?" Her voice was soft and gentle, that beautifully calm and pure voice that he loved. He let out a breath.

"K-Kinda..." This surprised Ayano but again, her demeanor simply changed to one of gentle caring.

"Well, I am too... We'll get through this together, yeah?" She smiled up at him and carefully placed a kiss on his cheek to help reassure him. He flushed a deep red color and turned his face away from her, hiding his embarrassment. She giggled and turned back to sit straight in her seat, still holding onto his hand and for that, he was glad.

It wasn't more than a few minutes later that the door opened behind the two of them and a sense of deja vu washed over Shintaro. He expected the woman to walk in with the extra chairs but instead three sets of light footsteps made their way into the room and surprised, Shintaro turned to look at the children.

The three stood huddled together at first, none of them taking the single chair on the other side of the table but after some hushed words, the green haired girl climbed into the seat and the two boys stood on either side of her, much like bodyguards. _However_ , Shintaro thought, _she doesn't look like she needs their protection_.

It was true; the small girl had a strong jawline and sharp eyes that could've sent a grown man running. Her eyelashes were long and she avoided eye contact at first, glancing at everything in the room before resting her eyes on Shintaro and Ayano. She studied them for a minute before huffing and looking over at the blonde boy on her right and leaning close to him, whispering something in his ear.

The blonde had eyes that were just as sharp as the girl's except for the fact that his didn't hold the same deep calm, instead they held a sense of chaos and... something else? Shintaro couldn't tell what it was... but it was almost unsettling.

The boy's hair was choppy as well but in a way that was much different from the girl's-as though it were purposefully longer on one side of his face. His irises we're cat-like and he watched the couple for a brief moment before reaching behind the chair and tapping the other boy on the shoulder.

The third child... looked so innocent and pure... Shintaro had a hard believing he could've been grouped with the other two. The black haired boy's eyes glistened as they had appeared to in the picture and his face was scrunched up slightly, probably to keep himself from crying.

The blonde boy got his attention and whispered something to him similarly to how the girl had. The black haired child nodded, face softening a little before glancing nervously over at Ayano and then at Shintaro.

Shintaro, having been watching this exchange, didn't notice Ayano as she smiled at them.

"Hello there," Ayano began, "My name is Ayano Kisaragi and this is my husband, Shintaro..." She gestured to him and Shintaro nodded, not wanting to speak and mess up anything for his wife.

The three nodded in unison and watched the brunette woman as she absent-mindedly fiddled with the papers in front of her.

"Can I know your names?" she asked sweetly, wanting desperately for them to trust her.

"Shuuya." The blonde was the first to speak and Shintaro noticed that the boy's expression had considerably changed. The scowl was gone and it was obvious that he was the trickster of the group by the way his eyes shone.

"Tsubomi." The girl spoke second, adverting her gaze as much as possible. Her cheeks were puffed out slightly and were even tinted softly.

"K-Kousuke..." The second boy shook gently as he let his quiet voice trail off. He kept his eyes on the table and didn't look up.

"Well!" Ayano beamed, slapping the table and scaring the children into looking at her, "O-Oops!" She giggled, grinning sheepishly, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Shuuya, Tsubomi, and Kousuke."

The three blinked at their names being used and looked at one another before small smiles lit their faces.

 _ **A/N: Hi! Sorry it's been awhile since I posted/updated anything but my good friend and I have decided to start this project... I found an image while searching around for wallpapers that was of Shintaro and Ayano with the baby mekameka trio and it made my heart melt~!**_

 _ **So, we thought it'd be super cute to write about this as an AU where Shinshin and Ayano adopt the three and raise them as their children. I haven't been this inspired in some time (hence the lack of updates) and it felt so wonderful to write this~**_

 _ **Obviously, this will be multi-chapter and will follow this quirky little family's escapades!**_

 _ **It'll be super fluffy and adorable, they may even go through some hard times, I don't know yet~**_

 _ **Also, I wrote this on a notepad on my phone so I'm surprised that it came out so long! However, that also means there may be some mistakes that I didn't catch when I reviewed it. If there are, please comment nicely and tell me so that I can fix them.**_

 _ **But either way, I hope you enjoyed reading and please don't forget to review-maybe even suggest what could happen! I love hearing your comments and opinions! Thank you so much for reading and please stick around for the rest of this fluff~**_


	2. Chapter 2

The next days were a blur to Shintaro as they went through paperwork. He was still not sure if he was ready to be a father but Ayano seemed convinced so at least one of them had hope. He looked over to the seats that lined the wall behind them. The trio sat silently, not even really looking at anything but the floor, each other, and their new parents. Shintaro watched for a minute before the green haired girl looked up at him, accidentally making eye contact before blushing and glaring at the floor again. Shintaro sighed, turning back to the stack of papers still left to go through before the children would go home with them. He scratched the back of his head, glancing through some of the fine print at the bottom of the page. Nothing stood out as being a red flag so he picked up the pen and signed his name beside Ayano's. The aforementioned brunette smiled at him and slid the papers together in a neat stack, tapping them on the table before handing them to the agent that sat across from them.

"I-Is that all we need to do?" The brunette inquired, fidgeting slightly. The other woman nodded and put the papers into an already fairly stuffed manila envelope.

"That's it, Mrs. Kisaragi. The children are now legally yours and you may take them home with you." She said this with a forced smile, not looking at the children who now stood from their seats. Of course, this didn't get past Shintaro and he frowned but stood and bowed softly to the woman.

"Thank you!" Ayano grinned from ear to ear as she stood and followed her husband's example, bowing quickly before practically skipping back to the children. Each had one small bag and nothing more. They clung tightly to their possessions and watched Ayano with smiles.

In the time that it taken them to be able to adopt the three, Ayano had made sure to get to know them personally and they had warmed up to her quickly… but that was to be expected; Ayano was friendly, caring, and great with kids. Shintaro however, was a different matter and the children still watched him warily, not sure if they trusted him. He didn't blame them though; he didn't exactly have the most inviting disposition.

As they headed out to the car, Ayano helped the three inside the backseat and buckled them in with little protest raised. Once the kids were in, she got in and Shintaro started the car, making their way out of the orphanage lot and out onto the main road.

There was a small sigh of relief from the backseat as they exited the driveway and Shintaro glanced in the mirror to see what it was about. The small boy with black hair clutched his bag in his lap and smiled out the window as the trees passed.

This made something in Shintaro's chest tighten slightly; he had to admit that the orphanage didn't exactly have a happy feel to it… and what the agent had said the first time they asked to meet these three still lingered in the back of his mind.

 _What had she meant by 'Oh, these three…'?_ His brow furrowed and he was about to miss the turn before Ayano cried out.

"Shintaro! The turn!" He blinked and checked his mirrors before turning the corner much sharper than normal. There was a chorus of squeaks and noises of pain in the back and Ayano turned around, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry! He's not normally a bad driver…" She looked over at her husband, raising an eyebrow at his spacing out. The black haired male sighed.

"I'm sorry, I uh, I just got distracted…" He shook his head and turned his focus back to the road, stopping himself from getting distracted a second time. Ayano chatted with the children for a few more seconds before asking them a question.

"Do you like music?" It seemed like a strange thing to ask but he heard a confident voice speak up in response.

"Tsubomi likes music a lot!" The blonde was then elbowed in the side and he let out a yelp, "W-Well? You do!" The brunette giggled and turned back around in her seat, switching the CD player on—making sure the volume wasn't up too loud for the driver. The blonde boy laughed quietly before getting jabbed again.

Glancing in the mirror again, Shintaro watched for a moment as the girl swayed gently to the music, smiling at her bag in her lap. He found himself chuckle before the girl looked up and made eye contact, stopping her swaying.

As they came to a red light, Shintaro quickly changed the track to his favorite and let it play. Being horrible with words, he hoped this would at least convey some kind of a message to the trio in the backseat. The green haired girl watched him for a minute before getting into the music again. Shintaro could feel as his wife turned to look at him with a smile, glad that he was making an attempt to communicate.

The sun was lowering in the sky as they pulled into their own driveway and Shintaro shut off the car. The blonde shoved himself against the window in an effort to see the top of the two story house.

"Whoa," he mumbled, unbuckling himself—after a struggle with the button—and pulling on the door handle to no avail. Ayano laughed good-naturedly and hurried to let him out, forgetting she'd put the child-lock on the doors. The boy—Shuuya—clambered out of the car and stood, staring straight up at the house and then ran back to Ayano who was helping Tsubomi out of the car.

Shintaro sighed and made his way to the other side of the car and opened the door, startling the other boy—Kousuke, was it? Kousuke watched his new father as he unbuckled him and held a hand out to help the small boy out of the car. With a small smile, the golden eyed child grabbed his hand and hopped out onto the concrete.

 _ **A/N: Happy Late August 15th! I actually got really sick the few days before and couldn't be on my computer so I didn't get anything written in time. So, I'm counting this as my contribution. It didn't take me very long to write this chapter but I had the issues with being sick, and so I only just finished it yesterday.**_

 _ **I'm not exactly sure how long this story is going to go on but I thought I should mention that it is a collaborative**_ __ _ **project. I'm writing this first story while my friend is writing the next bit. I hope you'll look forward to that as well!**_

 _ **Either way, please continue to read and review; I love seeing your comments~ And I should be updating Road Trip hopefully soon.**_

 _ **Thank you~**_


	3. Chapter 3

The inside of house was spacious and the children we're greeted by a large seating area to the left as they walked in the door. To the right was a small dining area and located past the foyer was the kitchen-a few slightly dated appliances and a breakfast bar that separated it from the rest of the area.

Even still, the space was enough to make the three glance around in wonder and when the blonde-being the first to move-hurried over to the stairs, the other two followed suit. Ayano giggled and trailed behind them, pointing out a few things as they went (such as the bathrooms and coat closets).

Shintaro sat and waited patiently until their mini tour was over. He could hear as Ayano took the kids to their room and showed them around the upstairs. It was nice to hear how bright and cheerful she was as she spoke to them and he chuckled softly as he made his way to the kitchen, pulling a chilled cola from the refrigerator.

Before long, there was the sound of footsteps descending the stairs and soon there were four other people in the small cooking area with him.

Ayano prepared dinner and after they'd all eaten, they headed upstairs and parted ways for the night. The children each giving a polite "goodnight" to their new parents before closing the doors to their new rooms.

Shintaro lay quietly in bed, not wanting to disturb his wife beside him but being completely unable to fall asleep. He kept his eyes closed and he lay on his back, the warmth of another body pressed against his side. He attempted to steady his breathing so he wouldn't shake her. However, he felt her shift and when he opened his eyes to look at her, he found two beautiful, brown eyes staring back at him.

He blinked, "What're you doing?" His voice was calm and quiet but he couldn't deny that he'd jumped slightly upon catching her looking at him. She smiled innocently, resting her chin on his arm.

"I can't sleep..." she laughed softly, "I was gonna go check on the children..." He blinked at her again before shaking his head ever so slightly.

"They're fine, Ayano. You don't need to check on them..."

"But this is their first night here... maybe they can't sleep either... I could read them a bedtime story and help them sleep..." she desperately tried to make her point seem reasonable as she mumbled on about why she needed to check on them.

Shintaro put a hand on the top of her head, suppressing a chuckle.

" _They're fine_ , Ayano, just lay back down and try to sleep..." She pouted at him, her bottom lip sticking out and her brows furrowed. Then, without warning, she sat up, causing his hand to fall from her head.

"I'm going to check on them," she stated firmly, and, not waiting for another response from her husband, quickly padded across the room to the door that was propped open. He shook his head again and laid his head back against his pillow, closing his eyes and wishing that she'd check quickly and would return to her former position next to him.

He sighed, listening as she opened the first door and it creaked gently. However, he frowned in confusion as he heard rushed footsteps returning to where he was. He was about to brush it off when his arm was grabbing and he was violently shaken, eyes shooting open and focusing on the worried face of the brunette.

"Wh..?" Before he could finish ask his question though, she answered in a panicky voice.

"T-Tsubomi is gone!" Even though she was whispering, Shintaro could heat her becoming ever more hysteric.

"What?" The news caught him off guard and he wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. He sat up, finally beginning to feel a sense of dread sweeping over him.

"S-She's gone, she's not there..." Ayano's voice shook and her eyes glistened like she were on the verge of tears.

Shintaro sat stunned for a moment, unsure of what to say or do to calm his wife but to also address the problem.

"Alright... just calm down... she's probably in the bathroom or something..." At her violent head shaking he could assume that she'd already checked there but he continued speaking.

"Did you check on the boys already?"

"N-Not yet..."

"Okay... I'll check on the boys, you go check downstairs and see if you find Tsubomi..." He kept his voice rational sounding but couldn't stop his mind from running mad. It certainly wasn't normal to lose a child on the first day... was this one of his subconscious fears over being a father? Maybe. But he didn't have the time to ponder on it.

Ayano nodded and quickly left the room, hurrying downstairs. This left Shintaro to check on the other two children. He made his way to the end of the upstairs hallway and carefully cracked the door open to the room that the two boys shared.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the lighting difference but once they had, he scanned the room, finding a surprising-and very relieving-sight on the blonde boy's bed.

Leaving the doorway for a brief moment to call downstairs to his wife, Shintaro sighed with relief.

"Ayano... I found her."

In no time, the brunette was standing with him at the doorway to the boys' room and as he pushed the door open for her to see, she smiled at the sight.

The three children were all scrunched up on the blonde's bed, a mess of blankets resting atop them.

The blonde was spread out in a chaotic manner with one arm stretched out and laying over the girl beside him. She lay with one leg curled up more than the other and not completely on her side but with her body facing towards the door and the third child.

Lastly, the black haired boy was curled up on the edge of the bed, his knees pulled tightly to his chest and his hands beneath his head like a pillow. It looked as if though one wrong move from any of the three could send the poor child sprawling on the carpeted floor.

With another relieved sigh, Ayano smiled at her husband, reaching her hand out to entwine their fingers. Shintaro smiled slightly back and carefully and quietly closed the door, heading back to their own room.

Once in bed, he resumed his position on his back, finally feeling tired, and he felt Ayano snuggle in beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Before too long, he felt as her breathing slowed and she fell fast asleep. He couldn't help but smile a little at this and quickly also found himself drifting off.

 _ **A/N: Sorry this took so long, I was fighting a massive writer's block! Classes started this week for me so I was really worried I'd be even less able to work on this story... Luckily, (and unluckily for my sleep schedule) I got a burst of inspiration last night to write this chapter! I've been coming up with plenty of ideas for this fic but have had trouble putting them together so finally, I was able to write last night. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last two and please don't forget to review... I love hearing your thoughts~!**_


	4. Chapter 4

The girl's eyes fluttered open, an unhappy groan sounding in her throat as she turned her face towards the light that filtered steadily in through the blinds. It was _too_ bright for her tastes.

She shifted back into the position she'd found herself in originally and blinked as she found a pair of golden eyes watching her from mere inches away. Though it was a common thing to wake to, it still caused her to jump and she squeaked is dismay as she felt her back connect with another body and as both began to roll off the bedside. There was a yelp as the raven haired boy hit the floor, followed by the jade haired girl and then as the final child scuttled to the side of the bed and peered over at them.

The girl quickly sat up, ignoring the poor boy she had landed on that whimpered and scolded the blonde. However, she didn't get very far into her lecture before the door swung open with a light knock. All three sets of eyes shot to the movement, only to be met by smiling brown eyes and their new mother wearing a frilly, red apron over her dress.

Tsubomi had to admit that the sight was exactly what she'd expected from such a pure and innocent adult. Though it would be hard to confess to, Tsubomi felt that she really could trust this new parental figure. The black haired, dark eyed male... not yet.

"Good morning," the brunette cheerfully sung, rocking on her heels and smiling so brightly, the children couldn't help but smile on reply. "Breakfast is ready," then with a giggle, she added, "don't worry about being dressed just yet, Shintaro isn't dressed either." Then, she turned, taking a step and glancing back, waiting for the children to follow.

Shuuya was the first one up and he hopped off the bed before padding quickly across the floor to the door.

"Come on, Tsubomi, Kousuke..." he grinned cheekily, "Last one down there is a rotten egg!" And, with that, he sped past Ayano and straight down the stairs-nearly running into the tall, scowling man at the bottom.

Shintaro looked down as the blonde scrambled to a halt in front of him.

 _Say something... bond with him._

"A-Ah... Good morning," his voice was pathetic sounding-not at all something that was fatherly. Shintaro cleared his throat, about to try again, when the other two children came barreling down the stairs as well, the girl sliding into the blonde with a squeak and the teary eyed boy smacking into her.

Ayano stood at the top of the stairs, laughing at the scene. When she descended the steps, she placed a quick kiss on her husband's cheek and then gestured towards the kitchen with a tilt of her head.

"Well then, shall we eat?"

The dining table was on the smaller side and Shintaro and Ayano took either end as the heads of the house, and of the remaining spaces, Tsubomi sat on one side while the boys sat opposite her.

Each place was set nicely with a circular white plate, folded napkin, glass, and silverware. As she settled onto the wooden chair, the green haired girl looked carefully at the table and without thinking spoke up.

"The spoon is on the wrong side." The idle chatter of the two across from her stopped and the brunette woman turned her attention towards the girl.

"Huh?" She asked, obviously confused by the statement.

"The spoon goes on the ri-" Tsubomi sputtered as her new mother's face changed in expression, "Ah! N-No, it's nothing! I didn't say anything!" Shuuya shot a confused look at her but Tsubomi kept her gaze fixed firmly on her empty plate, not wanting to linger too long on the subject of table setting. Luckily, Ayano caught on and proceeded to dish out the food.

The meal was... nice... Tsubomi decided, especially in comparison with the food they were served at the orphanage. She had to admit that it also was interesting to see how the two adults interacted at the table... and the fact that nobody was speaking too formally. That was nice.

She glanced at her plate, still half full and pushed the food around on a slow circle.

"Tsubomi? Is there something wrong? Are you not hungry?" The voice was sweet and pulled the girl from her thoughts, looking up to realize everyone-save for the black haired man at the end-was looking at her. She blinked, glancing back at the three faces staring at her and she shook her head.

"N-No, I'm sorry... everything's fine," she replied hurriedly and finished her sentence by taking another large bite-instantly regretting however, as the hot food began to burn the roof of her mouth. Her eyes widened slightly and she choked down the bite, grabbing for her water glass.

The blonde across from her snorted, obviously enjoying her mistake, and as she finished her drink, she swung her foot violently to kick him beneath the table.

Unfortunately, she missed, Kousuke taking the brunt of it.

He sucked in a breath, tears forming in his eyes. Tsubomi's face dropped and Shuuya began laughing, causing the whole scene to get worse.

"A-Ah! K-Kousuke, I'm sorry..." The girl's faced turned a deep scarlet shade, apologizing quickly before he began to cry. Ayano watched helplessly as breakfast was forgotten for chaos.

Shintaro sighed, no longer feeling hungry as he watched the three children go back and forth. By the time they'd settled back down, Tsubomi was pouting, Kousuke was holding his leg, and Shuuya was covered in his own breakfast. With a shake of his head, Shintaro stood, grabbing his dishes and heading for the sink-his movement seemed to have drawn enough attention that the children straightened in their chairs, becoming silent and embarrassed.

Ayano broke the silence with a light chuckle.

"W-Well, if we're all done, why don't we clean up the table?" She stood, grabbing her dishes and waiting for the trio to follow suit. The three stood, shamefully cleaning off the table.

Once all the dishes had been finished, Ayano clapped her hands, startling the children.

"So, I thought we could go out today so you three can get used to the area," she explained, "And of course, you'll all need more clothing and school supplies, toys, books..." Finding herself rambling, Ayano chuckled, "Would you like that?"

Looking at the clothes they were wearing, the children exchanged glances.

"C-Can we...?"

"Is it really okay?"

"We have to go to school?!"

Ayano's smile only grew at the different personalities stood before her and nodded.

"Why dont we all go get ready then and we'll head out?"

 _ **A/N: Please don't ever trust when I say I'm going to update because I'm really terrible about updating on time, I'm so sorry! I hope I haven't kept anyone waiting too long for this particular update but I'm really glad that I can update this AU because it's really dear to me.**_

 _ **Again I'm so sorry for just disappearing/I'm not dead! I think I'll learn my lesson though and not promise you an update just yet... However, I hope you'll look forward to whenever I**_ **do _update. Also please, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this chapter and maybe even what you'd like to see more from me in the future (Road Trip, one-shots, requests, AUs, ships, etc.). Thank you so very much for sticking by me even though my inability to update in a timely manner!_**


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